Ashes to Ashes
by Her Royal Nonsense
Summary: When Regina's efforts to rescue Dylan go awry, she is forced to turn to the only person she is sure will have an answer. But he doesn't do charity. On haitus per revisions.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **First Dino Crisis fic, I'll apologize for any inaccuracies with the storyline. I'm going to just pretend DC 3 and Dino Stalker never happened. I don't own anything and reviews are always deeply appreciated - any time of review, actually, I'll take it all.

Also note that might be a pairing here (I don't know yet, haven't thought that far ahead) that is neither conventional nor popular for many Dino Crisis fans. Heads up, is all I'm saying at this point.

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><p>It was a slow night in Eternity, surprisingly low-key for a usually bustling Thursday evening. Jillian Connelly wiped down the bar briskly with a damp rag, all the while keeping a keen ear out for any brewing of trouble. It wasn't terribly necessary however, as the regulars were strangely subdued tonight and even the drunken group of unfamiliar middle-aged football fans were somewhat restrained as they pretended they weren't gawking at the table of young, seemingly college-aged girls seated in the middle of the bar.<p>

Jillian flipped the rag over her shoulder and looked up, quietly noting the regulars whose drinks would require refilling sooner rather than later. That reminded her to do a quick sweep of the patio and the barmaid hence crossed the short distance to patio door, the click of her heels drawing the attention of a few men in the bar. It was much too cold outside to be out here casually, but the crimson-haired beauty in a black military jacket who secluded herself to a table in the back didn't seem to notice, care, or mind the stiff chill. Jillian approached her cautiously, noticing the faintest trail of tears that seemed to glisten in the deep fall moonlight. Jillian ran her tongue over her lips before starting quietly, "some people drink to remember, others drink to forget," she began, watching the girl closely as she looked up at her. She did not appear to be startled, but guarded. "What are _you_ here for, sugar?"

There was sweetness and an air of innocence and naivety to the woman's face that served as a stark contrast to the wary, exhausted manner in which she carried herself. There was a deep fluidity to her movement as she reached across the table to put out her cigarette. "Perhaps a bit of both," the red-head said quietly, bringing her attention back to the drink in front of her and staring at it as if it held all the answers to the universe.

"I haven't seen you here before, love," the woman responded softly. "The name's Jillian, and yours?" The girl never gave an answer – only blinked tiredly, and Jillian had been in this business too long and saw too much to be offended. After a moment or two, the bartender offered to bring her another drink, smiled warmly and turned around. Regina watched her walk away under the heavy, tired lids of her eyes as she pulled out another cigarette, ignoring the sharp sting of the little fire as she fumbled drunkenly with the lighter.

"Christ," Regina muttered under her breath as another tear threatened to fall. She watched dumbly as it splashed into her drink not a moment later.

She had failed. She had failed Dylan. She had slaved over trying to construct the perfect time-gate over the past year in a half. The government had all but denied her the provisions that were necessary to do so, and ordered her to sign a release never to speak of the incident. They took every effort and means to sweep it under the table – and this angered Regina to no end. She thought, however, that she knew the system well enough to get around the barriers they built and to get around them quietly, without drawing suspicion or attention to herself. With Rick's help, she had managed to do it. Or rather, she thought she did.

But something went wrong. Somewhere, something went seriously wrong and when she entered the future again, all she found was a sad, pitifully terrible heap of skeletal remains and old, tattered clothing. She had been hopeful, for the shortest moment that this was not Dylan and they young girl he refused to leave. It was not until she made out the faintest trace of a faded 'T.R.A" on the dead man's uniform that she realized precisely who this was and she realized all her work in the past year – all her efforts to do what was right and to save her friend, were all done in vain.

Regina bit down hard on her lip to keep from screaming; to keep from tearing at the sky and cursing to whatever entity would listen, ignoring the metallic tang of blood as it dropped and danced mockingly on her tongue. She nodded an abrupt thanks as the waitress silently placed another drink next to her old one, taking the empty glass in turn. Regina stifled a sob and in one steady motion she downed the bitter liquid angrily. The burning sensation it caused as it rushed down her throat was a welcome relief to the torture and guilt she felt over losing Dylan Morton. It took every effort for her to suppress her sobs as she sat there, never having felt so wretchedly bitter and completely alone before in her entire life.


	2. Carte Blanche

Although CSIS's designated work-stations and briefing rooms for S.O.R.T agents were relatively isolated from other branches of the organization, Regina cursed how open and accessible her own post was. Much to her dismay, it did not make snooping around particularly easy. Sighing almost whimsically, Regina clicked the left button on her mouse, only to be harshly greeted with 'Access Denied' in bold, red letters. "Damn," she muttered underneath her breath, resisting the urge to throw the mouse across the room. She resorted instead to resting her head in her hands dejectedly.

All she wanted was to build this damn time-gate and bring Dylan and Paula back. It ate at her every single day since she left. Her guilt nearly consumed all of her thoughts and she'd be lying to herself if she said it wasn't wearing her down.

"What's going on girl?" A painstakingly cheerful voice rang out, prompting Regina to look up at her colleague.

"I… I… nothing, Rick. I'm fine."

"You're a horrible liar, Regina," Rick leaned in close, startling the female agent when he got close. In a low voice he continued, "listen, I wanted to warn you – Gail's going to talk to you soon. You haven't been at your best lately, and people are starting to notice… starting to talk. What's wrong? You can talk to me, you know." He offered a reassuring smile, but Regina took little comfort in it. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment before running her hand through her hair and sighing.

"I tried to go back to get Dylan…"

"Regina…"

"He wasn't there. I mean, he was dead. He looked like he'd been dead for years," she looked away then, in an effort to appear more composed than she actually was. "I don't understand – I spent every single moment of down-time I had working on the perfect time-gate and you helped me as much as you're able, and it's just… I don't understand." She turned her attention back to the monitor, noting again the 'Access Denied' screen.

"Regina-"

"When did we lose clearance on the military's files?" She suddenly interjected, siting up straight. "I mean, those working in weapon development and biohazards…."

Rick shrugged, indicating his uncertainty. "Who you looking for?"

Tapping her nails on the desk, Regina hesitated before answering. She knew she could trust Rick, but if her agency discovered he was hacking into files neither of them had access to then both their hides would be on the line. After a moment, she answered, albeit too quietly. "I need to see Dr. Kirk's."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it… please, Rick…"

"Ugh, fine, move aside lil' lady." He said, waving his hand. Regina was all too happy to oblige as she got up and pulled over a chair from the cubicle next to her. "It'll take a couple of minutes, but this stuff is child's play."

"I bet."

It didn't take only a couple of minutes - one, if that. "Alright… here it is," he started quietly, motioning to the screen. Regina inched closer, leaning over her colleague's shoulder to properly make out the words on the monitor. "What do you need with Kirk's file?" He asked again.

"I need to know where he is…", she reached to take over the mouse and scrolled down. "Couldn't find it in the yellow pages," she joked half-heartedly.

"I thought he was working with the military high-command. Last I heard they had put him on a new project," Rick observed.

"That's what I thought too… it says here he's been thrown in confinement."

"Odd that they'd lie… about that, I mean."

Regina shrugged, brushing a stray lock of crimson hair out of her eyes. "It's nothing less than he deserves at this point," she muttered under her breath. Pulling a post-it note out of one of the desk drawers, the agent scribbled down the address to the corrections facility Dr. Kirk was alleged to have been incarcerated at.

"I don't know what you're up to but be careful," Rick warned her, cocking his brow. "And remember what I told you."

"I will. Thanks Rick."

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><p>Much to Regina's surprise, the facility Dr. Kirk was apparently being kept at was not a long distance from S.O.R.T's national headquarters. Truth be told she was more than a little nervous – as much as she'd never allow herself to admit it, the man terrified her back on Ibis Island and never in a million years did she ever imagine herself taking the initiative to speak to him at this point, but he was the only one who knew the Third Energy well enough to help her perfect the gate she needed to bring Dylan back.<p>

_Whatever means necessary. If that means stroking his ego a bit or threatening to blow his brains out with a pistol… it doesn't matter at this point._

The lobby was a sickening sea of utterly bland whiteness, reminding her more of a psychiatric hospital than a corrections facility. She approached the front desk calmly, the receptionist – an old, rather unfriendly looking woman - glared at her through the plexi-glass screen. The guard standing behind the woman stared straight… if he noticed Regina, he certainly did not acknowledge it. She didn't waste any time however, taking out her badge and slipping it in the metal dish. "My name is Regina Colquhoun, I'm an officer of CSIS. You have a patient here by the name of Edward Kirk,; it is imperative that I speak to him. Immediately."

"Is it now?" The woman rolled her eyes, but pulled out some forms anyway. "I'll need you to sign these."

"Of course."

Within twenty minutes, the guard took Regina straight to the doctor's quarters and allowed her inside by herself. He was not being kept with the other inmates, and also did not appear to be a physical threat himself, although the guard did stay posted in the corridor. Regina looked around cautiously; the room was large and spatious, just as stark a white as in the lobby, with a set of table and chairs for two in the corner and a seating area opposite of it. A large bookshelf provided the only bits of colour. She didn't see a bed or a bathroom, but a short hallway in the corner indicated there was more space to this cell.

_Nothing but the best for Dr. Kirk. Speak of the Devil…_

It was then that Dr. Kirk strolled non-chalantly from the hallway, not bothering to look at her as he projected his first taunt. "Well, all you government agents are rather predictable."

It was like being in the same room as Hannibal fricken' Lecter, only she didn't have the luxury of a glass screen separating her from the monster. Licking her lips, Regina tried her very best to hide her anxiety. She straightened her posture slightly before responding. If he's going to get right to business, then so will she. "I need your help."

"Of course you do." When she gave no response but a slightly-irritated hiss, he continued. "You fiddle and play recklessly with the Third Energy, and then you all come crying to me when it doesn't work precisely the way you meant it to." He paused, finally looking up at her. "Predictable."

"Who else has been here?"

"Well, the leader of your miserable little unit for one. He is unfortunately my most frequent visitor."

"Gail…"

"Yes.. that's it."

"Why has he been here?"

Dr. Kirk sat down rather impatiently in one of the chairs he had set out for him. Holding his hand out, he motioned for her to join him. Regina reluctantly did so, ignoring the audacious smirk that marked his face and sent shivers up her spine. "Why don't you stop wasting my time and tell me why _you're_ really here."

"There's something in Edward City that I need to get at. Someone, actually. He's trapped in another time and I need to bring him back."

Dr. Kirk laughed, and Regina would later swear she never heard something so innocent as laughter be so terribly mocking before. "What's in it for me?" He drawled.

She hadn't thought about that. He noticed. "Come now, you couldn't have expected me to help you by virtue of the kindness of my heart. I've been told many times before I don't have one. I'm sure you yourself can attest to that, agent. So, what is in it for me?"

Her response was laced with tangible uncertainty, "what do you want?"

He did not hesitate. "A blank cheque."

"What?"

Dr. Kirk sighed, "metaphorically speaking, a blank cheque or carte blanche is an agreement between two parties that remains considerable open ended or vague-"

"I know what it is!" Regina snapped. "What makes you think I'd agree to that?"

Nonchalantly shrugging, Dr. Kirk leaned back into his seat. "It depends entirely on how far you are willing to go to save the young Lieutenant." When it became evident to the doctor that the girl chose to sit there and seethe in silence rather than retaliate, he continued. "If you want my assistance, you will agree to my terms. I will ask three things of you. You will do each of these three things without protest. And yes, one or more of them might be 'illegal' according to most of your country-folk. I am well aware that with your infallible sense of morality, you might take issue with this. I will not need to remind you however, that Lieutenant Morton's fate rests entirely in my willingness to assist you."

"I will not hurt anyone."

"I will not ask you to. Do we have a deal, agent?" He held out his hand, but she made no immediate move to grasp it. It was mad to even entertain the possibility that Dr. Kirk could be trusted in any capacity. To provide him with the means of doing virtually anything he wanted was beyond being simply dangerous. She began to think she was as mad as he was for even considering it.

But when she slept at night, she could not get Dylan's face out of her head. His end consumed her days and her nights, and she thought of little else the past year and a half. She had been willing to consider all costs to bring him back – and if _this, _if doing a bit of Dr. Kirk's bidding for a little while as what it cost – then so be it.

In one steady move her hand darted out and she grasped the hand of her greatest nemesis.

Dr. Kirk looked utterly pleased with himself. "Very good," he drawled. "First things first. You will get me out of here, agent."


	3. Doubts and Frustrations

First of all, I'd like to give a shout-out to Stellarium-Celesta, who read and reviewed this. It is incredibly appreciated! Feedback of all kind are always welcome.

Thanks!

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><p>Elise Bell was one of the very few female agents of S.O.R.T. She also had one of the best track records of the entire team. A few years Regina's senior, Elise was tall and tanned, with long, raven hair and a face that'd force anyone to look twice. Seductive and often manipulative, she was frequently chosen for 'valentine missions' – missions that required an operative to become romantically intimate with a target. She never quite took kindly to Regina's recruitment into S.O.R.T. The fact that Regina usually performed exceedingly well and got along swimmingly with most of the men in the unit – including Gail, often grated on Elise's last nerve. As could be expected then, the woman left no-holds barred when a crucial mistake was made out in the field, especially one made by the crimson-haired agent.<p>

Today was no different in this regard. In what was supposed to be a simple, standard raid of a brothel discovered to have been trafficking women and children, Regina had shot at a few of the men, narrowly missing the heads of some young women unfortunate enough to be right in the midst of the gunfire. She broke position by giving chase, getting herself shot in the arm. It was merely a flesh wound and was sure to heal nicely, but nonetheless it didn't stop Elise from chastising Regina for breaking position on their way back to base.

However, today was different, as Regina was frankly, tired of taking it. In a move that perhaps came more from reflex than conscious thought, Regina grabbed the woman by the collar, slamming her into the concrete wall behind them. "Fuck. Off," she hissed, sneering viciously. Her eyes held an anger and a threat that was quite uncharacteristic of the usually perfectly collected agent.

It was Gail that pried Regina's hands from Elise's neck. Grabbing Regina's injured arm, he silently led her into his office, slamming the door behind him. "What in the world is the matter with you?" He hissed as he released her.

"Nothing."

"Don't stand there and lie to me, officer."

"I'm not lying, sir."

"You nearly jeopardized that mission. I would like to know what is going that is preventing you from performing your duties as an agent to this state," he said harshly, although he very much kept his composure.

When Regina again gave no answer, Gail sat down, crossing his arms. He noticed without saying a word how tightly her fists were clenched. "I don't want to suspend you Regina, but this behavior cannot be allowed to continue."

"It won't."

"See that it doesn't," he warned, not having enough time to participate in whatever game she thought she was playing. "You're dismissed. Get yourself to medical."

Regina nodded absently, making her way to the office door. Her hand gingerly met the knob before Gail's voice made her pause. "And Regina?"

"Yes," she looked towards him.

"There will be no more of these after-work visits to Dr. Kirk."

She hesitated a moment, fumbling with her grip on the knob. "Yes sir." She said, before swiftly leaving.

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><p>Regina sat at the kitchen table of her quaint, modernly decorated apartment. On one hand she rested her head lazily, and with the other her index finger had been circling the rim of the wine glass for the last half-hour – if not longer than that. David Bowie's 'Life on Mars' played quietly in the background, streaming from the laptop she left on the coffee table. Her finger stopped suddenly, and she grasped the glass and downed the remaining liquid in a single swig.<p>

_I've been doing way too much of this late for my own damn good._

Dr. Kirk's words ran through her head, and the proposition he made to her – the proposition she unthinkably agreed to – started to grate on her conscious and better judgment. She essentially agreed to do whatever it was he asked of her, with only one exception, and she knew it was a bloody bad idea. What she wasn't sure of, was whether or not it was worth saving Dylan for. To her, it was. But there were those – actually, most – who would not understand.

And then, actually finding a way to get the doctor out of the facility he had been confined to was also a problem. Doing so undetected would be rather difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Security was understandably quite tight. She would have to somehow cut the power to the facility, knock out all the guards and other faculty who would get in her way, and use that window to free the doctor.

And then what? What happens after that? Where does he stay? In her home was, for a good many reasons, completely out of question. When it gets out that Dr. Kirk has escaped, it wouldn't surprise her if this is the first place Gail would look – what with her behavior as of late. Not to mention, hosting a murdering madman in her home simply wasn't her cup of tea.

If she was going to go through with this insanity, she needed more answers.

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><p>"During the night would be best; either on a Friday or a Saturday, when the pathetic schmucks drink their weekly wages away. On every hour, one of the guards will do a brief sweep of the grounds. They are done by twenty-after, and will confine themselves exclusively to the guards-rooms until their next round. I will make my escape then, and you will ensure my path is void of any disruptions," Regina rolled her eyes then, and if the doctor noticed, he did not acknowledge it. "I can manage to steal an electronic pass from one of the guards to let you into the building… it might take a few days, but it certainly is do-able. You will procure a set of communicators. They must be small, and not easily noticed in an inspection."<p>

Regina ran her hand through her hair, trying her best to hide how horribly uncomfortable she was. "And where will you stay?"

"I have access to bank accounts on the outside under a pseudonym. I will stay at a hotel that is approximately a half-hour drive from your own residence. You will book the room using a forged identification card with a picture of someone who vaguely resembles myself. I trust you've had quite a bit of practice doing that…" he scolded, clearly referring to the Ibis Island mission. Regina scoffed, but he only continued. "Do it from a payphone and use gloves so you cannot be traced back to it. I will pay for the room in cash."

Regina could not believe she was going through with this. It felt so entirely wrong and completely against every single moral principle that had been engrained into her for years.

"From here on, we will not speak of it – and if details require further clarification, they will be written down. It would not surprise me if your fearless leader decides soon to plant some sort of recording device in this room."

Regina stood up then, after the discomfort of sitting so close to Dr. Kirk became too great. She walked to the door then, her hands firmly planted on her hips and her lips parted into a sneer.

Dr. Kirk merely observed her quietly, one brow arched in genuine curiosity as he remained seated. "Are you having second thoughts, agent?"

"I am putting my job and my reputation completely on the line," she breathed, barely above a whisper. "If I am caught – I'll be thrown in here too and there would be no one to help Dylan. And besides…" she watched as he too got up and walked towards her, "how do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain? You've lied and cheated a million times to get what you want. How do I know you won't just take off?"

He got a bit too close to her, and she took a step back. "You are right – you don't know. I could very well be setting you up. How do you think I knew precisely what you needed to speak to me for the other day? How did I know _his _name?"

_What the hell… fuck… he did… how?_

"I don't understand."

He leaned over her then, placing one hand on the wall next to her head. He didn't have much of a height advantage over her - an inch, at best - Regina was rather tall for a woman, but he effortless managed to intimidate her nonetheless. "Let's just say I'm more invested in your trails and tribulations than you know at the moment, _agent. _Without me, Dylan Morton will be lost forever. It is in your best interest to keep that in mind. Now, leave."

Regina was speechless, but she didn't want to stick around any longer than she had to.

"Oh, and Regina?"

She turned around towards him, her hand gripping the knob so hard that her knuckles went stark white. He chuckled softly, noting her anxiety. "Do get someone to take a look at your arm again. We wouldn't want your wound to become infected, now would we..."

She all but slammed the door behind her.


	4. The Point of No Return

AN – New chapter! Sorry this one took a while. For anyone interested, we have a new Dino Crisis community on line – probably the most active one you'll stumble across! Just go to dinocrisis . net (without the spaces) and click the scary dinosaurs!

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><p>It was a rather grand array of baby blue pastels and contemporary artwork with dark wood furnishings. A king bed dominated the spacious deluxe suite, its luxurious duvet threaded with the richest fabric in shades of elegant cream and ivory. It was resplendently modern, and as Regina stepped onto the marble foyer behind Dr. Kirk, the room stole her breath entirely.<p>

"My God…" she breathed in a speechless wonder.

"I am pleased to see that you approve." She didn't know if the doctor was honest or merely mocking her as he usually did, but she did not take it to heart.

"You can afford this?"

The doctor shrugged, "for a while. It is quite a lovely change of scenery from the dirty white stucco surroundings I've spent the past three years confined to, don't you think?"

_How much money was this fucker making back on Ibis Island…_

Regina remained in the foyer as she watched the doctor explore his new surroundings like a child on Christmas morning. "You know," he continued as he exited the bathing-room, "I am elated at how smoothly our escape went. And at the same time," he stopped in front of her, "a little surprised. I didn't think you could actually bring yourself to go through with it, agent."

Crossing her arms, Regina cocked her brows in response. "I didn't do it for you. You know that."

"Of course."

"Now what?"

"Tomorrow, I will purchase a computer so I can begin to work on your Timegate. I will then have a better idea of what we need. In the meantime, you will retrieve a copy of the Third Energy disk – preferably the one you picked retrieved a year ago from Edward City."

"Don't you know your own research?" She outwardly challenged, although whether she was serious or not, Kirk could not tell.

"I know my own research quite well, girl," he shot back, "that is not the issue. I understand, however, that it has since been stolen_. I wish to know the mess they made of my work." _That line was almost spat out and it dripped with distain and cold bitterness.

_Just like everything else he says._

"You know that the only reason you're out of prison right now is to help me save Dylan – **not **to further your research."

"On the contrary, girl. I cannot help you find your pathetic friend _unless_ I continue my research. You'd do well to pay attention…"

Her scowl was brief before her hand swung out in a wicked fury, the back of it colliding with the Kirk's face. After the initial moment of shock, he retaliated with an equal amount of force, grabbing Regina's arms and pushing her back into the wall. His lips were pursed in a nasty, livid sneer, as she inhaled through painfully clenched teeth. "Let me advise you, girl, that it would be in your best – and his best - interest for you to drop your ridiculously childish displays of rebellion-"

"Get your hands off of me," she all but hissed.

Kirk rolled his eyes as he released her, watching closely as she immediately bolted for the door. It was only after she left and let it slam shut behind her that he released the laugh he'd been holding back

"You are simply too much fun, precious."

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><p>The next morning, a million thoughts pursed through Regina's mind as she stalked into S.O.R.T's headquarters. She had one goal in mind today – to get her hand on that data. This time around, there were a number of roadblocks. She no longer had clearance to the Third Energy files… the military had removed her permissions from that material a few months after she had come back from Edward City. In fact, they had removed clearance for most agents. Not even Rick had access. It wasn't that he couldn't have gotten his hands on it if she had only asked, but Regina simply had no desire to pull him into hot water with her.<p>

She'd simply have to break her way in. Gail was the only member of her team who still had access. Forging an ID card, as she quickly discovered back on Ibis Island, was not a terribly difficult task and much to her surprise, the computer schematics were quite similar. All she would need is Gail's fingerprints, and an ID card to overwrite. Gail's prints were a piece of cake – all agents could use the fingerprint scanner, and just this morning he gave her a copy of the debriefing notes. He was holding them rather tightly. It was sure to be a clean print. It only took her a couple minutes to sign out the scanner, and she quickly took a reading of the prints on the paper – the bottom right corner had a tiny little crease where it would be most visible.

Re-writing the ID would be slightly more challenging. Regina was not about to use her own either, that could quite easily be traced back to her. She'd have to use someone else's, and she had the perfect target in mind.

Stalking over to Elise's desk with her coffee cup in hand, she silently thanked the heavens that the woman's workstation was considerably more isolated than her own. "Hey Elise, have you reviewed the de-briefings on the Decenti mission?"

Elise didn't answer right away, but when she did it was with a cool indifference. "Of course. I'm careful – it's why I don't make mistakes…"

Regina didn't feel even the slightest hint of guilt over 'accidently' tipping scolding coffee over her colleague. Apologizing profusely as Elise screeched a string of obscenities at her, Regina stepped aside as the older agent waltz to the rest-room to clean herself up.

_Works like a charm._

She didn't bother to sit down, not caring much to get bum wet. However, she all but threw open the drawers, scouring for the woman's ID card in a rushed hurry. Out of the corner of her eye she kept watch for anyone walking by.

_Bingo. _

Sending the forged prints into Elise's computer, she tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the schematics to boot up. After around forty seconds they were finished, and the computer asked for an ID number.

_Damn, hadn't thought of that. Shit shit shit shit shit._

Considering she was the individual responsible for weapons maintenance and recording when they were being taken out and received back, she knew immediately that _she_ very well could find the number. All agents had to include their employee ID number when they registered their weapons. It was just a matter of time from going down to the artillery, retrieving the number, and coming back up before Elise came back.

Deciding it was worth a shot, she bolted for the stairs. Swiping her own card to get into the weapons locker, she hurriedly managed to find the last registration card. With her index finger she scrolled through the long list of names until she found the one she wanted. Gail – 0743282. _Beautiful. _Regina was out just as quickly as she arrived and was back at Elise's station in a flash.

_Thank the heavens that this girl takes so much damn time with her appearance._

Inputting the number, all she had to do now was wait for it to re-write. After nearly a minute, it was at 10%.

_Damn, this thing needs to hurry._

After two, it was at around 30%. Regina bit into her lip as she heard Elise's voice ring through the opposite end of the office. She was complaining to another agent about Regina's little spill. Regina was all but white-knuckling it as the computer approached 40%.

_Come on, come on. _

It seemed to reach 70% in no time, but fumbled a bit after that. Regina saw Elise get closer and in a panic, she grabbed a napkin that was left on Elise's desk from lunch and starting dabbing the chair with it. At least if she appeared to be cleaning up, they wouldn't be as suspicious. It finally hit 100% moments before Elise reached her cubicle, the ID card ejected and Regina grabbed it in a hurry, stuffing it in the pocket of her jeans. She quickly exited the ID re-writing screen as Elise spoke up. "What are you still doing here?"

"Sorry Elise, I just wanted to clean your chair here – I'm so sorry about-"

"Whatever, get out."

Regina nodded, "of course." Walking away, she couldn't hide the smirk that crept over her face at her silent victory over the woman. The next item on her to-do list was to get into the storage room where the sensitive files are kept. It was more of an exceedingly long hallway, and with Gail's ID she entered it no problem. Regina rushed to the little portion of the room where she remembered the third energy files being kept. It didn't take her very long to find the one she was looking for – and she hurriedly signed it out.

_Shit… what was his ID…. 07432… shit… 0743292. Yes, that's it._

Scribbling Gail's name and ID on the paper, she again slipped the file into her back pocket and coolly made her way out of the room. That was until she nearly slammed into Walter Reids… a sweet older man who, while not an agent of S.O.R.T, conducted weekly audits of file inventory. He worked directly with CSIS and had access here.

"Regina, sugar, what are you doing down here?" He asked and although it was not unkind, his tone indicated confusion and a slight disappointment.

"I just had to check up on some things-"

"You know I have to report this, sugar. You don't have clearance to be here."

Regina nodded with an air about her that gave the impression that she wasn't, for one reason or another, terribly concerned. "Of course… do what you have to, Walter." She smiled before walking past him and making her way out.

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><p>Reviews are greatly appreciated! ;)<p> 


	5. Through the Looking Glass

**AN- **Thanks to my lover Maggie for the fabulous review. XD That is all

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><p>Much to Regina's rather uncharacteristically devious delight, Elise had temporarily taken the fall for the duplicate ID card. Regina knew however that once they pieced together all that had happened, the blame wouldn't stay there for long. As far as her own knowledge went, Walter, bless his soul, had kept quiet about seeing her in the library room as she suspected he would. They were already running tests on all the agents – similar to standard lie detector testing, but quite a bit more advanced. Using electrodes, it provides a near 100% accuracy on readings. Regina was due in for hers tomorrow morning, and would surely and quite miserably fail.<p>

"There is one way in which to trick that sort of system," Dr. Kirk informed her detachedly, as she paced the length of the hotel room.

"What?"

"You need to alter your body's chemistry," he said matter-of-factly.

A look of confusion marred her brow. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You need to find a live current. Currents under 200 volts are non-lethal… given, you won't pass the test with flying colours, but you won't fail either. You will be unreadable and thus the results will be inconclusive," there was almost a gloating lilt to his voice.

"You're mad." _Well, duh Regina…_

He gave her a falsely bright smile, a mocking reward for her clever observations. "Madness and brilliance… quite often go hand in hand, my dear girl."

She shifted her weight uncertainly. "So, I'm supposed to shock myself."

"Well," he paused for a moment in thought, "yes."

"For how long?"

"As long as you can bear it. The longer the better."

"Christ," she muttered under her breath.

"Do you have an electroshock weapon?"

A muscle in her jaw flexed and she glowered at him. "Yes," she admitted, the word grinding between her clenched teeth.

"Good. Medium voltage, low current. It will be painful but will cause no lasting damage or physical marks," he turned to his computer then, gingerly placing the Third Energy disk into the drive. "The sooner, the better. Retrieve it and come back here immediately."

Regina crossed her arms deviantly and rolled her eyes as she snorted. _I don't take orders from yo_u _pal. _

"What are you waiting for?"

She cocked her head in a _what do you think _manner. "A please would be nice."

Kirk pretended to be appalled. He simply could not resist toying with her. "If you don't desire or appreciate my help, girl, I can certainly leave you to deal with this by yourself. And good luck with that."

Regina spoke slowly and clearly so he was sure to understand as she ground out, "what I don't appreciate is having orders barked at me as if I'm an errand girl."

"You certainly didn't mind taking orders from what's-his-face back on Ibis Island. In fact, if memory serves myself correctly, you were quite eager to do his every bidding,"

Regina glowered at him and resisted the urge to blurt out, _yeah, well, you have no power over me, so nanny nanny boo boo_. "He's my boss, and yes, I'm delighted to do what _he_ tells me to. His name is Gail, by the way."

Kirk's eyes narrowed until they were mere slits and his bare fingers curled into fists at his side. "Whatever," he said, shortly. And rather like a petulant child, Regina thought.

"It's clearly different," she pointed out non-committedly.

The gesture Kirk made was a pretentious assent –he evidently didn't agree, but was not about to pressure the matter further. His tenacity once again left her entirely speechless. His lips curled into a satisfying smirk as he responded, "fine. Pretty please, with sugar on top, get the fucking gun."

* * *

><p>It took her three hours – although, if she was entirely honest with herself, she used every excuse in the book to keep from returning to his hotel room. Regina was shaking visibly when she returned with the stun gun in hand. She placed it on the table, wiping the sweat from her brow. Kirk got up then, "calm down, perspiring only will make it worse."<p>

Regina went rigidly still. "I can't do this."

"If you fail the test, you'll likely be charged with treason," tilting his head, he looked at her oddly. "You have a fear of electricity."

It took another heartbeat for her to compose herself. "Kind of," she admitted, although she was kicking herself that she did. "Of touching it, I mean. I have little problem using it for other means."

"And what do you believe triggers your fear?"

"What?"

"I am no psychologist, but most our fears are rather deep-seated. Stemming from events, often occurring in our childhood we remember as particularly traumatic experiences."

"That's not something I exactly care to share with you, _Dr. Kirk."_

Silence answered her, heavy with sprinklings of impatience and a trace of uncertainty, as though he hadn't expected her response to be so biting. "Well, no matter – it is of little consequence to me. Shall we call this off then… I assume you gave a better idea."

"No, I will do this."

"Very well."

Holding the handle of the stun gun in one hand, she slowly bit her bottom lip and brought her fingers towards the current. She didn't think about it – because she'd find a way to talk herself out of it if she did – she simply laid her hand on the rod and bit her lip as the first zap pinched her fingers. Kirk's eyes flickered curiously toward her hand and, just for a moment, admiration crossed his face. Then, his nostrils flared and his lips pressed into a thin line as he watched her hand convulse and her knuckles pale. After a moment she expelled a painful, raspy breath. Thirty-seconds bled into one minute, one minute into two, and it was only until the third that he grabbed its handle from her and tore it from the death-grip she had.

* * *

><p>One chair was placed in the middle of large, gray room. Or cell, as Regina often called it. She walked towards it coolly, each step evenly paced and announced as she perched herself delicately on the metal stool. A woman who she had never seen before strapped her into it, a bit tighter than necessary. Regina inhaled deeply as electrodes were placed over her temples, her upper chest, and her wrists.<p>

A man's voice rang out over the comm. system – she could not see him, but she knew very well the glass in front of her was a one-way mirror. "State your name and position for our records."

"Regina Colquhoun. S.O.R.T Field Operative Level Two."

Behind the glass, Gail furrowed his brow. "I'm not getting a reading on her," he said to _his_ boss, an equally large and imposing man by the name of Donald Hall. The polygraph in front of them displayed absolutely no alternations in her pulse or blood pressure.

"Why?"

"Some operatives don't respond to standardized testing. It's a small percentage, but it's happened several times before. Continue your questioning, maybe something will trigger a response…"

"How long have you been gainfully employed with CSIS?"

Regina looked to her right in thought and shrugged, "four, five years."

"Have you heard of our recent breach of security?" Hall looked at the screen again. Nothing.

Her voice was tightly controlled. "Yes."

"Have you anything to do with it?"

Regina paused, tilting her chin up indignantly and glowering through glass under dark, heavy lashes. "No," she said finally.

"Are you certain?"

She huffed a bit and rolled her eyes. "Yes."

Gail shook his head, "the reading was entirely inconclusive."

"You're sure our equipment is working?"

"Yes," Gail responded, "there's been no problem with it. As I said, some agents simply don't respond."

"She's been through this twice successfully before. Why didn't it work this time?" When the blonde man didn't answer, it was clear he too was at a loss for words. "Keep an eye on her, I don't like what is going on here." Hall reached over and pressed the speaker button. "You're excused, Regina."


	6. Mastering Time

Sliding the electronic key in the reader, Regina opened the door gingerly and stepped into the foyer. "Dr. Kirk?" She called out, gently letting the door shut by itself.

"It would be in both our interests if you knocked before you enter my quarters, my dear," he sighed although did not bother to tear his eyes from the laptop in front of him.

" Your quarters," she sighed, and the sound held a tone of disdain. "It's a hotel room."

"One which I am paying for," he finished but saw no reason to press the matter further. "How did your testing go?"

The words left a bitter taste in her mouth, "you were right."

"Naturally," he sighed and shrugged indifferently.

"It may have given me time, but I haven't been completely ruled out yet. We need to work fast."

"Of course. As part of our agreement, I have the second favour I wish to ask of you-"

Regina cut him off – disbelief infiltrating her voice. "I got the disk. **That** was the second part of our agreement."

He leveled a stern gaze at her and argued with a sigh, "no, **that** was for your benefit, **not **mine."

She crossed her arms defiantly, "how?"

"To build _your _gate and save _your _friend, I needed to know the work they have been doing. And it has led me to something… else," something in his cold expression softened a fraction as he continued, "there is a scientist that has taken over my work. Apparently, according to one of these files, he is more brilliant then I am. Which yes, is quite a difficult concept for me to even begin conceiving, I must admit. Recently, I have been in contact with this man. He has invited me to a charity gala about a week from today. It is imperative that I attend. You will accompany me as my escort."

Regina raised a delicate brow. "Your _escort?"_

He looked at her, genuinely curious about what she was getting at, "yes..."

"You couldn't have just said 'guest'."

He flashed her an amused grin as he pursed his lips and drawled, "would that have made you less squeamish and uncomfortable?"

"It might have,"

He replied with a lazy smile designed to infuriate her – he quite enjoyed watching her lose her temper. "I apologize princess, I was not aware it was my responsibility to ensure your comfort."

"Were you born an asshole Kirk, or did you have to work at it your entire life?" She muttered, immediately angry with herself for letting him provoke her.

Dr. Kirk waved a dismissive hand in response. "As much as I rather enjoy pandering to your tender sensibilities, might I remind you that we have a job to do?"

Her eyes narrowed, but in place of retaliating she merely put on the most bored expression she could muster. "Whatever. Who is this person you need to meet?"

"His name is Riley Cameron. I have not yet met him face-to-face, as most of our correspondences have been through electronic mail. He was apparently the head physicist who took over research on the third energy after my unfortunate incarceration. An eager slave of this state, to my understanding" Kirk shrugged then, cocking his brow lazily in disapproval, "until about three months ago. Dr. Cameron apparently had quite the breakthrough. He decided it'd be in his better interest to takeoff with the knowledge of the advancement and sell it to the highest bidder. Global pharmaceutical companies, weapons manufacturers, banks… would pay a lot more money than the government could, or would, for that matter."

"Why does he need to talk to you?"

"He hasn't yet perfected it. It's still extraordinarily unstable."

"And you get a cut of the pay-check I presume," the retort was more of a statement than question.

Kirk considered it carefully and conceded that a small degree of honesty was necessary if his plans were to be successfully completed. There was a long pause before he decided he would answer, and if Regina didn't know any better, she thought he appeared to be sizing her up. After a moment his whisper finally grated harshly through the silence, "something to that effect."

Regina nodded absently. "So?" She sat casually on the bed, leaning back on her hands. "What is this brilliant breakthrough of his?" A wickedly amusing thought came to her, and she licked her lips as they formed into a smirk. "What did he do that you couldn't?" She taunted, utterly pleased with herself for giving the doctor a taste of his own damn medicine. Her delight was short-lived however, as she noticed his face drain of its colour and his eyes darkened to the point it almost sent shivers up _her_ spine. Almost.

He made a bee-line for where she sat, and looking back on the incident Regina would swear that he intended to strike her. She didn't bother to move an inch, however, as she did not feel terribly threatened by anything he could do at this point. Opting instead for giving him a pointed, but blank stare as he stood in front of her. She kept her eyes focused on his as he bent down to her level, placing one hand on the bed next to where she sat. Their faces were so close that Regina could feel his hot breath over her face and she sneered in defense. "I suggest you step back," she bit out hotly.

Dr. Kirk paid her warnings little heed as he grabbed a fistful of her crimson hair. His voice slid through the air, dark and frigid as death. "Let me make this clear to you little girl, there is **nothing** he did that **I **couldn't have, had I been at liberty to continue **my** own research. Nothing!" With that he let go of her hair so quickly as if the very touch of it scalded his fingers.

_Still as sensitive as ever about your damn work… well, some things never change._

"And had _you_ not shown up with your wretched comrades, I would not have to sit here to powerlessly watch someone else take credit for something I invested my entire life in," he looked back at her then, and the look on his face was filled with such tangible evidence of the anger and hate he'd kept inside of himself for years. Regina always thought of true evil as being something abstract, a concept rather than actuality but here she was again, face to face with it. Admittedly, she had detached herself from it previously – chosen to put aside his evil deeds for a few months in order to work with him more effectively and to his credit up until now he hadn't been entirely unpleasant company – but it was the malicious sneer he just gave her that reminded her of what he was. It wasn't insanity, nor demonic possession – this evil was an actual, living, breathing human being. She'd only met it once before, in precisely the same form. In a twisted way though, she was grateful for his tirade. She had almost allowed herself to forget that this side of him was very real.

Regina sat up straight and cautiously prepared herself for another physical outburst. It was almost as if he read her mind though, and he gave her a lifeless, bitter smile, casually reclining back against the desk. "You don't have to worry Regina, I have no intention of harming you," he drawled in a velvety, uncharacteristically soft tone, "you have not yet worn your use," She watched incredulously as his face began to instantly soften as if he was subconsciously checking himself and moderating his behavior accordingly. "And besides, the world is much more interesting with you in it."

_Did I hear that correctly?_

She turned to him then, the confusion had to be written plainly across her features as he continued. "I apologize for my outburst."

"What?"

"I didn't say I would explain myself to you, I said I was sorry. It would be unreasonable for me to fault you for merely following orders," he said, shrugging. It seemed to Regina that the anger and hate dissipated just as quickly as it came on, and she was shocked to the extent that she could not find her voice. That was perhaps one of the most reasonable revelations she had heard from him yet… and he didn't stop there. "To my understanding, Dr. Cameron has working on a way in which to _master_ time in a way no one else but God has. As I told you on Ibis Island, the Third Energy effectively replaced a pocket of space with one from thirty million years ago. Evidently, it was advanced to the extent that now we can create portals to step into another time; and yet, we are still subject to whatever conditions or conflict resides there," he caught her eye, "but no longer. Now, we can manipulate time – bend it to our will…"

"How?" she whispered breathlessly.

"Think of a remote," he explained, gesturing to the little black converter that laid untouched on the coffee table. "It permits you to stop and rewind video. A handheld time-gate has the capacity to do precisely the same thing – only, you have the ability rearrange the time you chose to return to. This is an incredible degree of power, Regina."

She cleared her throat; not realizing her breath had been caught up and tangled in it. "And we'll be using this to save Dylan?"

"Yes, we will construct a handheld time-gate together, once I get a hold of the necessary data."

"It's dangerous."

"It always was, and it always will be. This is why – after you make use of it – the research must be destroyed. There is no telling how deadly it could be if landing in the wrong hands."

"I wasn't aware you had a moral compass, Dr. Kirk."

The velvety chuckle grated on her nerves, but she chose to ignore it as he shrugged, "I don't. I merely understand its ramifications and I have little intention of providing the government the means to essentially re-write any event in history they choose to. Sure, perhaps it would start benevolent enough – perhaps reverse certain tragedies and so on and so forth, but it grants absolute power to anyone who is in possession of it. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. You've witnessed this yourself. "

"I don't trust you. I don't believe that there's nothing in it for you."

He seemed oddly distant as he absentmindedly replied to her inquiries, "of course there's something in it for me."

She was stunned by the graveness in his tone. "And what would that be?"

"You'll see soon enough."

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><p><em>Thanks again Maggie for your help, you wee fluffy sweetheart.<em>


	7. It was the Black Kitten's Fault Entirely

Here's the *revised* chapter seven.. thanks Maggie! xoxo

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><p>With a sigh laced in her frustrations, Regina crossed the short distance of the suite's study and over to the sleek marble hearth of the fireplace. She leaned on it as she gazed numbingly into the dancing orange flames, her fingers tracing the shape of them. "When do we have to leave?" She asked suddenly, quietly.<p>

After a moment's contemplation, Dr. Kirk answered her. "The drive will take a little over three-days; I wish to leave no later than tomorrow night. I don't particularly want your organization looking for you in your brief absence, so you should tell your supervisor tomorrow that you have taken ill and will not be able to attend work."

"I have never called in sick-"

Dr. Kirk clucked his tongue, "well my dear, I suppose they do say there is a first time for everything," he muttered rather unenthusiastically. His attention was elsewhere now, Regina noted.

_I guess this would be a good time to leave, I've had enough of this fucker for one day._

Grabbing her keys, Regina made hastily for the door, her red hair, lengthened several inches since her escape from Edward City, streaming behind her. She all but flung open the door but reeled back suddenly, her hand flying to her heart in surprise as a uniformed young girl starred back at her, holding a tray of cheese and wine – her eyes wide and her hand trembling as if she had been caught with it deep in the cookie jar.

"What is it?" The doctor called out from the study, clearly having heard Regina's gasp.

"How long have you been listening?" Regina bit out coolly.

"Um... I..."

"'Um' is not an answer," she snapped. "How. long. have you been listening?" Regina repeated, firmly, and although Regina could not see it, a faint smile lifted one side of Dr. Kirk's mouth, one of wry amusement...and perhaps grudging approval.

The girl didn't respond – whether it be from nerves or because she had been instructed not to was unclear, but as Dr. Kirk came up behind the agent she shoved the tray hastily into Regina's arms. Kirk reached out just as the wine bottle was about to topple over and steadied it. "On behalf of the hotel management, we would li-like to th-thank you for your patronage." The girl curtseyed and hurried down the hall.

"Well, well, frightening away the lovely young ladies already, Miss Regina?" He teased, narrowing his eyes in mock glare but could not stifle the chuckle as he took the tray from her.

"They suspect something."

"Or they are thanking me for the thousands I have spent here thus far. It would not be the first time I received complimentary room service."

"She was listening."

Dr. Kirk gave a noncommittal shrug. "Perhaps."

"Why are you so unconcerned?"

"Because those who have not yet witnessed the power of the Third Energy for themselves could not begin to fathom its potential. She would have thought I was mad, and that your naiveté is unrivaled for believing a word I said."

She frowned at him, "people are looking for you."

"Yes, and if these people really wanted to find me and were placing an adequate effort into doing so, they would have found me by now. But they have not."

"Sure, whatever-"

Dr. Kirk's eyes became dark, "do not 'whatever' me, little girl," he hissed at her. "I have no need for the company of a whining teenaged brat."

"Fine. Do whatever the fuck it is you want Kirk, I don't care anymore. I'm leaving-"she spotted the wine and grabbed the bottle, "and I'm taking this."

"Be my guest."

And the door slammed shut.

* * *

><p>"Gail, I need to speak with you for a moment please, sir."<p>

"A minute is all I have, Regina. What is it?"

"I need to request a short leave of absence." She was fully expecting her supervisor to ask 'why', but the question never came. "I'll need about a week; maybe a few days more."

Instead the conversation went into an entirely different direction, and Regina mentally chastised herself for not expecting it. "We've had to temporarily suspend Elise, turns out she had unauthorized access into the library room," Gail turned around, meeting Regina's eyes with his steely glare.

"I know," she said.

"As a result, the third energy disk is missing."

"That's a shame," she offered half-heartedly.

"Yes, it is. However," he paced back to his desk and sat down in the large leather chair, motioning for Regina to take the other one. "What is an even bigger shame is – I don't think she is the one responsible for taking it." He leaned in closer, and Regina crossed her legs and her arms – it was barely all she could due to hide her discomfort. "I believe..." he continued, "she was framed."

Her heart was racing like a wild horse and her mouth suddenly went dry.

"Regina... is there anything you would like to tell me?"

There it was. Her chance to come clean about everything. It would be so easy right now to admit she had helped Dr. Kirk escape, to tell Gail where he was hiding and hope that the only reprimand she would receive is her discharge and termination. And she'd do it, if only... if only it'd bring Lieutenant Morton back.

But it wouldn't.

She'd already requested for the government to look into the case on numerous occasions. And the answer was always the same – no.

Regina shook her head. "No."

* * *

><p>It was late at night when the knock sounded from the other side of the door. Regina looked up from the leather couch she had thrown herself across, and muttered at having to get up. She tossed the coverlet to the ground, and shuffled lazily towards the door, glass of wine in hand.<p>

_Perhaps I'll throw it in his face._

The knocking continued after a moment, and Regina rolled her eyes as she finished off that glass of the pricey chardonnay before reluctantly unlocking the door. She nearly stumbled away as Dr. Kirk let himself in. No greetings were exchanged but a mere, "do you have your things together?"

She nodded, gesturing to the two bags by the door.

"Good," Dr. Kirk tossed them both over his shoulder, and turned back to Regina, who evidently had other things on her mind than making haste. "What are you doing?"

"I'm fucking up _everything_ Dr. Kirk. I am throwing everything I have worked for away because of a man, or maybe because of two men and I don't know why or if any of this is worth it," she was cut off when he pressed his index finger to her lips and smiled... she didn't know why, but there was something about the way he was looking at her... it was almost as if he already knew.

"Everything is going to be okay, Regina... you _will _save the young lieutenant and everything else will find a way to piece itself back together." It was an incredibly brief, but tender moment as he moved his hand up to wipe away the single crystalline tear that had glistened down her cheek. He contemplated her, his eyes flickering to her lips.

But the moment passed as quickly as she could blink and he seized her arm. "Come, it's time to go."


	8. Lies and Surprises

Kirk pulled the car over to the side of the road. It was half-past midnight, neither of the pair had eaten, and the gas light had just flickered on. He looked towards Regina – the redhead was curled up in the passenger seat, wrapped in a light throw and she was snoring lightly. Kirk peered at her curiously; he studied her unguarded, unconscious form for a moment and reached out to trace the soft contours of her face, careful not to make any contact. She turned away from him then, re-positioning herself to face the passenger door, as if even in her dreams she'd regret his touch. One dark eyebrow rose, and his lips pinched into a tight, thin line. He withdrew his hand accordingly.

Edward Kirk had never an invested interest in anyone apart from himself. He saw little reason to – other people merely served their purpose, their function and when they had worn out their use, he discarded them. In fact, he had _discarded_ so many and it was so easy for him to do so. His lack of empathy had been unparalleled.

Until last night.

He didn't know what came over him the night previously. He had never _felt_ something for a single human being before. In fact, even when he put a bullet through the head of the only woman he ever had any kind of emotional attachment and physical relationship with on Ibis Island, he never felt anything. He never, before last night, _pitied_ anyone. But, for one reason or another, he pitied _her. _And it ate at him the entire night.

Dr. Kirk clenched the wheel tighter, getting back on the road in search of a filling station. To his luck, he managed to find a small run-down shithole not ten minutes later. "It'll do," he muttered to himself, turning off the engine and getting out of the car. Regina awoke just as the door slammed shut. Keeping the blanket wrapped around her, she got out of the car as well.

"I need use the bathroom," she slammed the door shut and made a stumbling bee-line for the adjacent convenience store. As she stepped into the filthy little establishment, she immediately took notice of the two burly men at the counter. She could feel their eyes on her as she turned her back on them to make for the restroom. "This is the last fucking thing I need right now," she muttered under her breath, locking the door behind her. After she did what she had needed to do, she examined herself in the mirror, running her finger over her lids in an effort to rub the sleep from them.

Regina could smell the alcohol on their breath as she approached the counter. "Well, you're one of the prettiest things we've seen out here in a while," one of the men slurred, and as he reached out to touch her, she grabbed him by the collar and violently shoved him back into the counter.

"If you touch me, I'll break each one of your goddamned fingers asshole," she growled before releasing the man, she turned and shot the other one a warning glare. Thankfully, they both backed down. She placed a ten on the counter and grabbed her things hastily before stalking out. Dr. Kirk was leaning on the driver's side door as she approached – his expression wnet cold and unreadable. She stopped in front of him.

"Well, you certainly know how to draw attention to yourself. Get in the car," he hissed, his eyes fixed on the men inside the store. "They are coming back out," Regina wheeled around on her heel to take a look but the doctor pulled her back, "get in the car, Regina." It shouldn't have surprised him that she wasn't going to back down, and he grabbed her arm and all but shoved her into the vehicle. If looks could kill, the one he just flashed towards the two bikers would have sent them both to hell and back. After a moment he got in after her and started the engine.

The wheels screeched as the car tore its way out of the parking lot, leaving behind a cloud of debris in its wake. "Are you mad?" He snarled

"As if you're one to talk asshole."

"Our flight leaves in three hours and we are about four from the airport. You're costing us more time."

She narrowed her eyes into mere slits and scoffed, "our flight to _where, _exactly? I thought this thing was just across the country."

"Perhaps you should ask before jumping to your assumptions, princess. I trust you have your passport."

Regina made a 'hmm' sound at the back of her throat. "I'm not the one who is going to have some issues getting across the border," she snapped.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I've already taken care of that." Kirk watched her reaction intently; she drew in air through her clenched teeth and nearly growled under her breath, knowing the answer before even having to ask. "A couple hundred will buy you the most convincing documentation."

"Where the hell are we going?"

"China."

"Why-"

"Information technology is developing at an astronomical rate in Asia," he started, "not to mention labour costs are overwhelmingly low and there are little, if any, legislated protocols or contingencies with regards to workplace health and safety or environmental protections. It is the perfect place to conduct my experiments. And of course, there are a few other benefits of working in China, but none that _you_ could appreciate." Kirk waited for a response, but it became evident to him that she wasn't paying attention anymore; she had decided her Blackberry was infinitely more interesting. "Who are you contacting?"

"It's not any of your damn business."

"You really are an indignant woman."

"Not really."

It was silent for a few minutes, and she was not expecting the question lingering on the tip of his tongue. "Why do you," he paused to find the right word but he couldn't hide the grimace as he said it, "care so much?"

_Well, this is different. _"Excuse me?"

"Why are you putting your entire life on the line for a man you knew for less than twenty-four hours?"

Regina knew the answer to that question – she thoroughly understood why she was doing what she was doing. It took her a moment to articulate it in a manner that _he_ and his limited skills of empathy, could possibly comprehend. "He is a good man and a good soldier," she shrugged, "I made him a promise before I... before I came back and I intend on keeping it."

"And what do you suppose will happen to you afterwards?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead," it wasn't exactly the truth but she didn't have a particular desire to discuss the matter further.

Dr. Kirk sensed this. "Well, that's a real shock."

The remainder of the drive to the airport was uncomfortably silent, and the fourteen-and-a-half hour flight (of which they boarded without a hitch) was equivocally unbearable for her. Kirk had simply buried himself in his research and didn't speak a single word to anyone. Once, and only once did a flight attendant approach him to ask if he required anything; he didn't acknowledge her, nor did he provide any indication he was even aware of the pretty young girl standing there. Regina rolled her eyes at his lack of manners and decency and thanked the girl herself for asking. Her sigh was quite animated, borderline theatrical, but within a moment she turned her attentions back to the window and closed her eyes.

It was raining when they arrived in China. A taxi had been waiting for them at the exit, and an elderly gentleman with a kind face (albeit, dressed as if he was a member of the Secret Service) opened a large black umbrella over Regina's head. "Welcome to Beijing, Miss." She nodded her thanks, and waited as he opened the cabbie door for her, gesturing for her to take a seat. The doctor got in after her.

"We are staying at the St. Regis," he wasted no time instructing the driver, who nodded knowingly.

"I imagine this is going to be another one of your splurges," she said, crossing her legs. She was suddenly aware that the size of the cabs here were considerably smaller than they were in America.

"No, not one of _mine. _I will not be signing the cheque this time."

"Well, _I _am certainly not."

A mock gleam of surprise lit up his face and he laughed. "While I might be a regal son-of-a-bitch, I am still relatively old-fashioned and would never propose such a thing, my dear."

"Oh good, I'm glad you have some standards," she sarcastically retorted, although it was not meant as harshly as it might have came across.

Dr. Kirk scoffed. "I have exceedingly high standards for the women I've courted, girl. In fact, we will go over them when we arrive at our hotel."

She should have been annoyed, but something sparked a faint curiosity in her instead. "And how many women have you 'courted'?"

_Well, he was right about being old-fashioned. Haven't heard that term for it in quite some time._

He did not provide her with an immediate response. It took him a moment to piece together a suitable answer. He licked his lips before starting, "women are attracted to wealth and to power. There was a point in time where I was a very wealthy and very powerful man, Regina. I answered to no one and yes, my needs and desires were met," he paused, "I _could _have whoever I wanted, when and if I wanted her. That's all I care to reveal about my past to you, at this particular moment."

"That's rather... misogynistic."

"Does it contradict what little you know of me?"

"No, I suppose it doesn't."

"It also does not contradict what little I know of you, as well."

Regina raised her brow, unsure of whether to be curious or offended. "Go on," she scoffed.

"Your admiration and adulation towards your fearless leader was not particularly well-veiled, girl," he pointedly offered. He watched closely as a number of expressions played across her face and her hands tightened into fists at her sides.

The taxi stopped in front of the hotel, but neither of them made any move to get out. "You're wrong," she countered hastily, "I look up to Gail as a student admires her teacher, but it has never gone beyond that."

Now she could see his face. His eyes flared like blue stars from under sun blond curls. He smiled, and the wicked twist of his lips morphed the expression into the lopsided grin she remembered so well. "You would not protest if it ever did."

She shook her head. "You are making your asinine assumptions based on what little you know of me," she hissed, throwing his words back at him. "The truth of the matter is I've made my own success without the help or assistance of anyone, man or woman. If I were to enter into a relationship with anybody, it would be because I want to, not because I have something to gain. If you believe that I am in any way, shape, or forms, taken by the promise of wealth ot power, then you evidently do not know me at all." As if on cue, the door on her side swung open and a gentleman with white gloves asked if he could take her bags.

"No, I'm fine, thank you."


	9. Back to Square One

_Wait a minute - what the hell is this? An update within two weeks? Craziness! Anyway, the proverbial shit is about to shit the fan, so enjoy. ;)_

* * *

><p>At long last, his night was finally here. He had been waiting for it for over a year – ever since he began his correspondence with the elusive Dr. Cameron Riley. It was tonight that he would at long last be reunited with his life's work. He stalked over to one of the large, intricate mirrors and studied the image that stared back; his pale blonde hair feathered around an angular face with dark, vividly blue eyes. His suit hung so closely to his body it had evidently been tailored to his specifications. A derisive little smirk appeared on his face as he heard the door to Regina's room unlatch behind him and she unceremoniously sundered out, never sparing him a glance as she made for the strappy pair of designer heels.<p>

Regina had let her hair grow out since the incident on Ibis Island, but had always bound it back and away from her face until now. She'd let loose the crimson tresses and they cascaded down her back in a mass of curls. Her make-up was simple, and yet on her it was dramatic enough to convince him he was looking into the eyes of a fox. She wore a black, floral lace gown with full-length sleeves and a hem that stopped short of her knees. It hugged every curve of her body and emphasized her rather long, shapely legs.

She looked the most feminine he had ever seen her; and certainly the most desirable.

He had considered, for a fraction of a moment, verbalizing his appreciation of her appearance. However, he decided quickly against it – Dr Kirk never offered up compliments and he certainly was not going to start today.

He watched her begin to fumble slightly with the clasp and he took it from her with a hint of wry amusement laced in his features. She tensed as she felt his hand touch her arm and pull her upright, and she watched in disbelief as he knelt down in front of her. "Allow me," he said as he cupped her shoe in one hand, while he deftly flicked the buckle open with the other and slipped it onto her freshly manicured right foot. "I trust you recall what I told you about tonight?"

"Yes, yes," she muttered, placing her hand on the wall beside her for support. "Don't speak unless spoken to- ah," she moaned as he palmed a kink from the muscles of her other foot. He looked up as he slipped her other foot into the remaining shoe and while his face betrayed nothing, there was something feral that flashed in his eyes.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>The decor was a splendid array of rich gold and white, accented by various shades of reds and ivories and panels of yellow. <em>Freedom from worldly cares, <em>Regina remembered someone telling her once. Ornament glass chandeliers of a clear Western influence hung delicately from the high, immaculately detailed ceiling. A painting done in gold ink of Cundī graced the far wall, while a large fountain encased in a golden dragon and surrounded by a garden of plum and cherry blossoms and penjing stood at another.

"It is exquisite, isn't it?" Dr. Kirk asked as he noticed her awe, his arm slipping possessively around her waist as they descended a short staircase into the main hall, where about two dozen tables had been set up for the event.

"I suppose," she breathed, accepting a glass of red wine a server offered her. She graciously nodded her thanks as she took a sip. "Is this-"

"Dr. Kirk?" The voice was inquisitive, delicate, and distinctly feminine. It held a musical, manipulative lilt of a woman much too eager to impress.

_That can't be..._

He responded after a few moments, yet his tone betrayed his curiosity. "Yes?"

A young woman stood there - she was tall, with long, chestnut brown hair and her blue dress revealed a great deal too much of her olive skin to be considered remotely modest. The man behind her, whom Regina presumed to be her date, was entirely the opposite; the very definition of unremakable. In fact, he was almost sickly. "I do hope I am not interrupting," the woman spoke, glancing at Regina briefly and nodding before continuing, "I am Dr. Cameron Riley, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, sir."

The gasp that escaped Kirk's lips was a touch strangled, but he recovered well. "_You_ are Dr. Riley?" Regina watched the expressions play behind Kirk's eyes, taking another sip in silence as he stared, clearly baffled, at the pretty young woman. He had not been expecting Dr. Riley to be a woman, least of all a young one. "Forgive me," he cleared his throat, "how old are you?"

"Twenty-four," she answered with no hesitation.

"Twenty-four," he repeated quietly. "Well, that's quite the... surprise."

"I hope it's a pleasant surprise, doctor." Her hair, gathered into a high ponytail, slipped over her shoulder like a dark waterfall. She spared Regina another glimpse, briefly catching the redhead roll her eyes back.

"Indeed," he lied, burying the realization that he'd been one-upped on his own turf as he pressed his lips to her hand.

"I was also hoping," her wine red lips curled suggestively at the corners, "that we might go somewhere a little more private. There is something I've waited some time now to show you."

_She's not wasting any time, is she?_

Regina turned back to them, eyeing Dr. Kirk suspiciously as she watched as a sinister grin slide across his face; the perverse expression was fitting for a crocodile. _Something's not right..._ she wanted to say, but the words stuck in her throat as a cold trepidity slowly turned into alarm.

_Something is not right._

"Of course-"

"What for?" Regina spoke up suddenly, one dark brow arched as she resolved to confront the two. She watched as their eyes met knowingly in a silent, unspoken understanding before Kirk's grip on her waist let up and he pulled her aside.

"Don't make a scene," he whispered, "you know what we came here for."

"I don't trust her."

"That is irrelevant."

The breath she released was thick with wary, and she opened her mouth to argue but whatever she had on the tip of her tongue remained there as the dark-haired woman cut her short. "I promise to bring him back," she soothed, and her hand snaked down Kirk's arm.

Dr Kirk, clearly annoyed at having been interrupted, wrenched his arm from her grasp in one smooth, quick motion. "We will go, but later."

And that was all that was said. They all sat down for dinner and the silence that spanned nearly the entire hour was far too thick and deafening. Regina could tell that Kirk and Riley both were itching to leave. She looked at the man who accompanied Dr. Riley - the man looked perpetually malnourished. The pallour of his skin was sickly pale and starved of sun. His blue-gray eyes were rimmed with darkness and bloodshot - he had the eyes of someone who'd been awake for longer than his body could handle. In fact, she'd seen that before - she'd seen that in Dr. Kirk's eyes nearly two years ago.

She suspected he caught her staring, as the man wrinkled his nose and ran a hand through his hair, which in addition to needing a trim was also in dire need of a wash. Who was this poor man, and how did he find himself in the middle of this? Lifting the glass up to her lips, she finished the last drops of her fourth glass of wine.

It dawned on her then.

_This _was Dr. Riley.

Regina moved to grab at Dr. Kirk's hand, but there was nothing but air there. He was gone. Sometime during her inner monologue had had left.

The space beside the pale man was vacant as well.

_Fuck._

* * *

><p>"Welcome to your laboratory, Dr. Kirk," said the soft, smooth voice behind him.<p>

He stood proudly as if he were a Captain on one of the most magnificent ships ever built. Something in his chest didn't feel so empty anymore. His hands gripped the rail as he observed the bustling, brand new laboratory below him. _His_ laboratory.

In the past thirty-odd years he'd been living, Dr Edward Kirk had only enjoyed a handful of good days, and there was a fresh expectancy that today would be one of these. This entire situation was beginning to look as though it was about to take a direction that had always been his absolute favourite: his way. The time was ripe at long last for him to lay his hands once more on his most precious creation, his most prized possession; the Third Energy. He had been without it for so long – far too long, and it was destroying him from the inside out, eating away at him like a cancer.

And now he had it. He could start his experiments _tonight. _It took every string of patience in his body to sit through that dinner, knowing _this _was waiting for him.

Thin, pale lips twisted upwards in a smirk as he caught the unmistakable clicking of heels against crisp, flawless concrete. The footsteps did not belong to Dr. Riley, he was certain. Reflecting back to when he first met Regina on Ibis Island, it was the heavy footfall of her combat boots that gave her away and on more than one occasion, alerted him to her nearness. Now it was the strappy heels he insisted she wear that circumvented her attempted ambush. He had known she would come quickly – he had learned to not underestimate her, and he briefly contemplated just killing her here and now before she tried to damper his parade, but there had always been more satisfaction to be derived from a game of cat and mouse rather than a quick kill. And he was much too fond of his sweet redhead to eliminate her from the festivities so unceremoniously, or at all – that he had yet to decide.

It hadn't yet been three hours since he'd seen her last. She had been quick. "Dare I ask how it was you found me, my darling?"

"I know better than to let you out of my sight without sticking a tracking device to you first, doctor," she spoke matter-of-factly, her tone of voice betrayed the well-earned mistrust in him, the barrel of her gun pointed at the back of his head served to emphasize such. He still had not turned around.

Kirk chuckled. The sound was so void of amusement, so frigidly emotionless Regina nearly took a step away from him. He reached back to peel off the contraption. "Clever girl."

Shock poured through her, ice in her veins, as she studied him. The differences were minute, but they were just enough to rearrange her perceptions of the world a little more. "You made me a promise," she hissed through painfully clenched teeth.

Her faith in him had amused him to no end. She was so blinded by her despair and desperation for the boy that she had dived head-first into this wicked tango of theirs – all the while completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that the sole purpose he agreed to help her was to get _here_. She served him perfectly.

He heard the armed guards come up behind her, he heard her yelp of surprise as one of them kicked her knees out from under her, followed by a sharp gasp as another hit her hard in the stomach – while there was no doubt she could have put up a good fight had she not been ambushed and outnumbered, the four men quickly, effortlessly, had her incapacitated within moments. "What shall we do with this one, sir?" One of them called out as he drove the barrel of his gun further into her temple. It was her whimper that spurred him to face her, finally.

She was on her knees. One of the men had her arms wretched behind her back, two others had their weapons aimed at her head. She'd begun to bleed at her temple. Her breathing was laboured and her chest glistened with her sweat. One excruciating step at a time, he approached her, noting the single tear that left a wet trail down her flushed cheek. The guard holding her wrists must have tightened his grip as Kirk approached - she had suddenly bit her lip to keep from crying out and the doctor shot the man behind her a look that said 'enough'.

He crouched down to her level and took her jaw into his hand. It was not a strong or bruising grip; she could have quite easily wrenched herself from it, but she did not. Instead, her face lifted to his and she met his eyes with a hatred and a fury that even he could admit he fully deserved.

Dr Kirk was not the first to speak – he found himself, for the first time, at a loss of what to say. It was so easy to be cruel, but something, something he could not understand kept his cruelty at bay.

_Perhaps it was pity._

"_Why?"_ She bit out in a hoarse whisper, her voice breaking as the reality begun to dawn on her that she might not ever save Dylan.

"You should just kill her and be done with it," Dr Riley abruptly interrupted, startling both Kirk and Regina. Kirk tightened his grip on the redhead's face to keep her from turning towards the other woman.

"Shut up," he instructed, still not tearing his eyes from the glassy, defiant green eyes in front of him. Riley turned away with a stubborn huff.

He sighed. "I simply do not know what to do with you, my sweet. I cannot let you leave; you know the way here and I suspect the moment you are free you'll be on the phone with your fearless leader -"

"Oh please, Edward, just put a bullet through her skull and be done with it!"

"If you don't keep quiet, I will put a bullet through yours first," the look he shot the raven-haired vixen was dangerous and feral.

Killing Regina was simply not an option. Not right now. He had to have more time to think about it first. It took Dr. Riley's wicked persistence coupled with Regina's silent defiance in her state of complete vulnerability to convince him he would be saddened if she were to die.

His hand lifted and with his index finger he lightly traced the line of wetness down her cheek. Regina shivered as she felt his lips trail the path his finger had just took. His breath felt feverishly hot upon her face, her eyes closed in response and she swallowed reflexively. With a moan not offered voluntarily, her head tilted back, baring her throat to him. He grinned, lifting the wayward locks and smoothing them back over her bare shoulder so as not to obstruct his view. "Yes," he whispered, although so quietly it would've been intended for himself only. "Not yet."

He looked to his right towards Dr Riley. "I trust there is a holding room of some sort?"

"Of course," she confirmed in a saucy little mutter.

Kirk then diverted his attention to the men holding the agent. "Take her to the holding room. Do whatever you must to ensure she stays there until I retrieve her. And gentlemen, if I find another _scratch_ on her than what she bears right now, I will be very, very upset. Is that understood?"

A uniform 'yes sir' answered him and the men soon disappeared from his sight with the girl.

"She's going to be a problem for you, Edward."

"If she becomes a problem I will deal with it then. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd very much like to see my lab."


End file.
